Ss. Cyril and Methodius Ukrainian Catholic Church

Younger U.S. priests say they are far more conservative than older priests in their voting patterns, according to a 2025 survey. / Credit: TSViPhoto/Shutterstock

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Oct 14, 2025 / 15:35 pm (CNA).

Younger U.S. priests are far more conservative than older priests, reaffirming a generational divide in political views, according to a 2025 survey.

The strong generational divide in political views among Catholic priests in the United States was reaffirmed in a 2025 survey that shows younger priests are far more conservative than older priests.

The National Study of Catholic Priests, published on Oct. 14, was commissioned by The Catholic Project at The Catholic University of America and conducted by Gallup. Researchers surveyed the same priests who were surveyed in The Catholic Project’s 2022 survey to examine the U.S. priesthood.

According to the report, the 2025 survey “closely mirrors” the findings in 2022 and shows “a clear generational shift away from liberal self-identification.”

About 51% of priests ordained in 2010 or later said their political views are either conservative or very conservative. Another 37% said they were moderate and the remaining 12% were either liberal or very liberal.

For priests ordained between 2000 and 2009, 44% were conservative or very conservative and 44% were moderate. Again, only 12% of priests ordained in these years said they were liberal or very liberal.

Priests ordained between 1990 and 1999 leaned conservative, but to a lesser degree, with 38% saying they are somewhat conservative, 34% identifying as moderate, and 26% saying they are liberal or very liberal.

For priests ordained in the prior decade, 1980 to 1989, conservatism declines to about 22%, and 36% call themselves moderate. About 40%, a plurality, identify as liberal or very liberal. 

Older priests are far more liberal. A majority of priests ordained between 1975 and 1979, about 53%, say they are either liberal or very liberal. About 34% are moderate and 11% conservative. About 61% of priests ordained before 1975 said they are liberal or very liberal, 25% are moderate, and 13% are conservative. 

The theological leanings of priests followed a similar pattern, with an even sharper decline in theological progressivism, according to the researchers. About 70% of priests ordained before 1975 called themselves theological progressives, and only 8% of priests ordained 2010 or later said the same.

About 70% of the youngest priests self-report as conservative/orthodox or very conservative/orthodox on theological matters.

Generational divide on pastoral priorities

The political and theological shifts flow into generational divides about what issues the Church should be prioritizing as well, such as climate change, LGBTQ outreach, and synodality.

Regarding climate change, 78% of priests ordained before 1980 said this should be a priority, as did 61% of priests ordained between 1980 and 1999. Just 35% of priests ordained in 2000 or later agreed.

The trend is similar for outreach to the LGBTQ community with 66% of priests ordained before 1980 calling this a priority, but just 49% of priests ordained between 1980 and 1999 and 37% of priests ordained 2000 or later agree.

Synodality is also popular among older priests, with 77% of those ordained before 1980 calling it a priority. About 57% of priests ordained between 1980 and 1999 say the same, but only 37% of priests ordained 2000 or later agree.

Immigration 

Some issues show smaller generational divides. For example, 93% of priests ordained before 1980 see immigration and refugee assistance as a priority, as do 82% ordained between 1980 and 1999 and 74% ordained in 2000 or later. Also, 98% of priests ordained before 1980 believe poverty, homelessness, and food insecurity are priorities, as do 92% ordained between 1980 and 1999 and 79% ordained 2000 or later.

There is a generational divide on whether Eucharistic devotion or access to the Traditional Latin Mass are priorities, with younger priests more focused on those issues. 

About 88% of priests ordained in 2000 or later see Eucharistic devotion as a priority, as do 66% of those ordained between 1980 and 1999 and 57% ordained before 1980. About 39% of priests ordained in 2000 or later see Latin Mass access as a priority, but only 20% of priests ordained between 1980 and 1999 and 11% of priests ordained before 1980 agree.

null / Credit: Ivan Galashchuk/Shutterstock

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Oct 14, 2025 / 13:38 pm (CNA).

A recent study found that among adults who attend Christian worship at least monthly, 68% agreed marriage is between one man and one woman, but only 46% defined “family” in corresponding terms of a husband and wife, their children, and relatives.

Family Research Council in partnership with the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University released findings this week from a new national survey of 1,003 churchgoing adults. The survey, “Social Issues and Worldview,” was conducted in July to build off a similar 2023 study. The research identified beliefs of the faithful in regard to social topics and family life.

Of the 9 in 10 respondents identifying as Christian, 39% were Catholic, 20% mainline Protestant, 18% evangelical, 9% independent or nondenominational Christian, and 4% Pentecostal.

Among the respondents, about 22% claimed the definition of family changes over time and across cultures. About 20% said family is any group of people who care for one another, 6% said family is any group of people who live together, and 6% said they did not know how to describe family.

No demographic or Christian group was found to have a clear majority in support of the biblical definition of family, but the highest support came from theologically defined born-again Christians (59%) and Pentecostal churchgoers (56%). 

The majority of respondents did agree on a number of other family-related topics. Of churchgoing adults, 70% said it is important for society to facilitate families with a father, mother, and children living together and 68% said they believe marriage is only between a man and a woman.

Christian stances on social issues and need for discipleship 

The report found churchgoers are open to more discipleship and teaching on a number of current social issues. A large majority reported that additional worldview training is desirable in areas regarding religious freedom (88%), social and political responsibility (76%), and abortion and the value of life (60%).

The research revealed more specific Christian views on pro-life topics including abortion and euthanasia. About 25% of churchgoing respondents said they would prefer their church to preach or teach about abortion at worship services more often, while 18% said they would prefer teachings on the topic less often. 

Those interested in increasing preaching on the topic mostly attend either evangelical (31%) or Pentecostal churches (31%), while adults who align with independent and nondenominational churches were the least interested in increasing the number of sermons on abortion (19%). Interest among Catholics in increasing the frequency fell from 41% to 29% since 2023.

Respondents were asked their beliefs in regard to the statement: “Euthanasia is morally wrong.” Less than half of churchgoers (43%) said they agreed, another 23% said they disagreed, and 35% said they were unsure and did not know whether euthanasia was right or wrong.

Overwhelming majorities agreed that people should be able to practice “peaceful, genuinely held religious beliefs without being punished by the government, even if those beliefs are not culturally popular” (83%), that “every person is made in the likeness of God” (84%), and that “every human being has undeniable value and dignity” (83%).

Pope Leo greets crowds in St. Peter’s Basilica. / Credit: Vatican Media

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Oct 14, 2025 / 13:02 pm (CNA).

A 2025 survey of more than 1,100 American priests found high rates of self-reported personal flourishing, strong confidence in Pope Leo XIV, and a mixed level of trust in U.S. bishops.

The National Study of Catholic Priests, published on Oct. 14, was commissioned by the Catholic Project at The Catholic University of America and conducted by Gallup. Researchers surveyed the same priests who were surveyed in The Catholic Project’s 2022 survey to examine the U.S. priesthood. 

The survey showed strong confidence in the first-ever American pope. About 43% of those surveyed expressed “a great deal” of confidence in Leo and another 43% reported “quite a lot” of confidence in the pontiff. About 13% said they have “some” confidence, and only 1% expressed “very little” confidence.

Most priests also predicted the U.S. Church’s relationship with the Vatican will improve, with 51% saying it will improve significantly and 28% saying it will improve somewhat. About 17% said it would likely stay the same, and 3% think it will worsen.

Priests lack trust in U.S. bishops

Confidence in bishops was significantly lower. Just 52% of diocesan priests reported they trust their own bishop, which is slightly higher than the 49% who said the same in 2022. Yet, those numbers are much lower than 2001, when 63% trusted their own bishop.

About 74% of priests said their bishop cares about them, and 11% said their bishop did not. The survey also found that 83% said they can reach their bishop or superior when needed, while 8% said they could not. 

The numbers are worse for U.S. bishops as a whole. Only 27% of priests surveyed reported trust in the U.S. bishops, although this is an uptick from 2022 when only 22% had trust in them. It is much lower than 2001, when 39% of priests trusted U.S. bishops.

Personal flourishing

Priests reported high rates of personal flourishing, which is measured by mental health, physical health, purpose, character, and social relationships. The average rate was 8.2 out of 10, which is identical to the results of the 2022 survey. Diocesan and religious priests reported the same rate of personal flourishing.

When asked questions about whether their religious communities were flourishing, the results were lower. The community flourishing rate was 5.7 out of 10 for diocesan priests and 6.2 out of 10 for religious priests. 

Researchers found that 92% have a close relationship with at least one other priest, but also about one-third of those surveyed said their relationships with other priests tends to be superficial. 

Recently-ordained priests reported more loneliness. About 45% of priests ordained in 2000 or later reported loneliness, as did 34% of priests ordained between 1980 and 1999 and 27% ordained before 1980.

Burnout

The survey also measured priests’ “burnout,” which asked questions about feeling “worn out and weary” or “emotionally drained” and whether they “talk about [their] ministry in a negative way.” 

For diocesan priests, 56% said they felt no burnout while 44% felt some burnout. Among those feeling burnout, only 7% had high burnout. For religious priests, 69% said they felt no burnout, 31% felt some burnout, and among those feeling burnout only 2% had high burnout. Burnout rates slightly improved since the 2022 survey, which found half of diocesan priests and one-third of religious priests feeling some burnout.

The survey found that 96% of priests reported having access to mental health counseling if they need it, but only 11% are receiving treatment or therapy for a mental health condition.

Some priests, however, said they are “expected to do too many things that go beyond my calling as a priest.” The rate is much higher for newer priests than it is for older priests.

About 45% of priests ordained in 2000 and later reported that feeling, as did 38% of priests ordained between 1980 and 1999 and 13% of priests ordained before 1980.

The survey was conducted between May 12 and June 30 of this year. The response rate was 38%.

Holy Family Church in Booneville, Kentucky, with solar panels implemented as part of the Catholic Diocese of Lexington’s goal of net zero emissions. / Credit: Photo courtesy of the Catholic Diocese of Lexington, Kentucky

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Oct 14, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

The Diocese of Lexington has developed an ambitious plan to make all of its buildings net-zero by 2030 because, it noted, as Scripture says: “The earth and all in it belongs to God.” The plan includes all buildings of the 59 parishes in the diocese, spanning over 50 counties in central and eastern Kentucky.

The plan is a direct response to Pope Francis’ 2015 encyclical Laudato Si’ (“On Care for Our Common Home”), which called on the global Catholic Church to engage in dialogue about the future of the planet. Within the writings, Pope Francis urged the Church to acknowledge environmental challenges.

The diocese was inspired by Laudato Si’ No. 217, which says “living our vocation as protectors of God’s handiwork is a life of virtue,” Josh Van Cleef, director of the Office of Peace and Justice for the diocese, told CNA. “It is not a secondary dimension of Christian life.”

The Diocese of Lexington’s plans stem from the seven goals of Laudato Si', which include response to the cry of the earth, response to the cry of the poor, ecological economics, adoption of sustainable lifestyles, ecological education, ecological spirituality, and community resilience and empowerment.

Inspiration from Pope Francis

Since the encyclical was published, dioceses and archdioceses across the country have implemented ways to live out Pope Francis’ call. As this year marks the 10-year anniversary of the encyclical, Bishop John Stowe of Lexington and his leadership team have laid out one of the most ambitious plans yet.

Van Cleef, who leads the Respect Life Ministries for the diocese, said the idea began to develop in 2024. Each parish was asked and encouraged by leaders including the bishop to form Laudato Si’ teams. The teams then carried out “parish assessments based on the seven goals of Laudato Si’, to do listening sessions, and to come up with concrete action plans.”

The parishes “did not come up with a ‘net-zero plan’ but just a plan for them to implement care for creation.” These plans included “looking at what concretely they can do from their lighting, like moving to LED [light bulbs], to the different programming they can do to promote this as a faith issue in the parishes.”

“We’ve seen a lot of our parishes really take this on, and it’s been pretty inspiring,” Van Cleef said. “Then as a diocese, the action plan was published on Jan. 1, 2025, which included plans from each one of the 59 parishes, plus the diocese-wide commitments.”

The biggest undertaking within the diocese’s goals is “to move all facilities to net-zero emissions.” Diocese leaders have been working for more than a year with a group of experts in the area of sustainability to accomplish it.

Net-zero is defined by the diocese as “the balance between the amount of greenhouse gas emissions that an organization generates and the amount removed from the atmosphere.”

Net-zero plan

The four steps the diocese is taking to shape its net-zero approach include measuring, efficiency, solar development, and transitioning from gas to electric. Measuring is the first step and “identifies the main sources of emissions, calculates the overall carbon footprint, and sets the stage for developing an effective action plan,” according to the published plan.

Efficiency will be tracked through an energy audit from 2025–2026. The diocese will conduct “evaluations of energy use within a building with the goal of identifying areas where energy is being wasted,” the report explained. 

An essential part of the plan is the implementation of solar power, which “offers a pathway for the transition to renewable energy.” Finances will be discussed, including grants, low-interest financing options, and energy service agreements “to ensure that projects can fit within a location’s budget.”

The diocese will carry out a shift from gas to efficient electric to “facilitate the diocese’s overall movement towards renewable energy.” Once again, the diocese will “identify available grants, rebates, and other financing options to assist locations in this transition.”

The diocese is committed to the steps because as Catholics, “we’re not opting in to care for creation for partisan reasons, and we don’t get to opt out,” Van Cleef explained. “For us, we’re all in because of our faith. And when we look at Scripture, we see Psalm 24:1 say: ‘The earth and all in it belongs to God.’”

“Then we read in Genesis that our job is to ‘till and keep.’” Therefore, we must “cultivate and protect what belongs to God,” Van Cleef said. “It is a matter of faith. When we look to Pope Francis, Laudato Si’, and Pope Leo, it is clear that the Church is called to urgent and decisive action.”

“We know that all creation communicates God’s glory, and it is a sacred place where we encounter God.”

More Laudato Si’ inspiration 

The Diocese of Lexington’s plan is in motion and will continue to develop over the coming years to hopefully reach its goal by 2030, according to the diocese. While parts of its mission will take time, other practices Lexington and a number of other Catholic communities are carrying out are active now.

The Archdiocese of Washington, D.C., created an action plan that provided a number of options for parishes, schools, and families “to become better stewards of God’s creation, help reverse climate change, and work towards sustainability as proclaimed in Laudato Si’’.” This included a volunteer group called Laudato Trees, which began in 2022 to increase the tree canopy in the D.C. area by planting trees on Catholic church and school properties. 

The Diocese of Sacramento, California, began to utilize solar panels in 2022, including at its memorial center at St. Anthony Parish. Soon after, a diocesan Creation Care Committee was established and the diocese enrolled in the Vatican’s Laudato Si’ Action Platform.

Parishes in the Diocese of Tucson, Arizona, also implemented plans by adding solar panels to buildings around the community in 2024. Our Mother of Sorrows Catholic Church was the flagship parish, but quickly after a number of others across the diocese joined.

Other communities across the nation including the Diocese of Joliet, Illinois, and the Archdiocese of Atlanta wrote plans that offered everyday actions for parishes and families to carry out in order to further the seven goals. They called for the faithful to recycle, focus on energy production, cut back on toxic and plastic items, replace gas-fueled appliances with electric ones, and to spread the message of Laudato Si’.

Cardinal Pietro Parolin greets the parents of St. Carlo Acutis before Mass at Church of Santa Maria Maggiore in Assisi, Italy, on Oct. 12, 2025. / Credit: Diocese of Assisi

ACI Prensa Staff, Oct 13, 2025 / 16:13 pm (CNA).

In a Mass marking the first liturgical memorial of St. Carlo Acutis, who was canonized by Pope Leo XIV on Sept. 7, Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin on Sunday said the saint spoke of Jesus with a “radiant” and “smiling” face.

“Many when they see his picture are touched by his smile: Carlo spoke of Jesus above all with his radiant, luminous, and smiling face. He taught us to live out St. Paul’s exhortation: ‘Rejoice in the Lord always,’” Parolin said in his homily at the Mass he celebrated Oct. 12.

The Mass took place in St. Mary Major Church in Assisi at the Shrine of the Renunciation (Santuario della Spogliazione). The body of St. Carlo Acutis, who died in 2006 of fulminant leukemia at the age of 15, rests in a glass case on the side of the nave of the church.

Before the Mass, which was attended by civil, military, and religious authorities — as well as the young saint’s parents, Antonia Salzano and Andrea Acutis — the Italian cardinal prayed for a few minutes before the saint’s final resting place.

“Carlo is a new pearl of this city of saints and a great gift for the Church: May his witness bear abundant fruits of holiness among young people,” Parolin said.

‘The word of God portrays Carlo’

“The word of God that we have just heard portrays Carlo and his spirituality almost photographically, and he in turn helps us understand it with the example of his life,” the cardinal noted, according to Vatican News. 

“From prison, Paul invites everyone to communion,” the cardinal said, citing the second Mass reading, in which St. Paul addresses the faithful of Philippi, the first evangelized European community.

He continued, saying that St. Paul recalled “the liturgical hymn in which it is said that Jesus emptied himself of all his divine glory to become one of us, even to death on the cross.”

“It’s beautiful to recall this here in this Shrine of the Spogliazione, which evokes not only St. Francis’ gesture of stripping himself of everything to make Christ his only treasure, but even more so the self-emptying of Christ, which St. Francis wished to imitate,” he explained, noting that the shrine bears the name of “Spogliazione” (“renunciation”) because it recalls the moment when St. Francis of Assisi renounced material goods to follow Christ.

His mother ‘misses most his jokes’

Parolin emphasized in this first liturgical memorial of St. Carlo Acutis that the Gospel contains a clear “call to joy.”

“The entire Gospel proclamation is oriented toward joy: The Son of God came down from heaven to make us happy. And who better than Carlo can explain this? His mother, Antonia, has often said that what she misses most about him are his jokes and his good humor, with which he knew how to make us laugh and smile,” the cardinal noted.

“Christianity is a message of salvation and Jesus our savior: How can we not rejoice?” he added, noting that “sad and complaining Christians are not good witnesses of the Gospel.”

“And although life knows suffering — just think of the many horrendous wars that are fought today with so much bloodshed — this invites us to also live out Paul’s other command: ‘Rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep.’ But this weeping must be one of compassion and love, which doesn’t take away joy, peace, or hope,” he noted.

Carlo, ‘teacher of beauty and goodness’

The Vatican secretary of state also referred to St. Francis of Assisi, recalling a verse from the “Canticle of the Creatures: “Blessed are those who endure in peace, for by you, Most High, shall they be crowned.”

In light of the first reading, he explained, “we see how the Christian way of life described by Paul fits perfectly with Carlo’s life: His existence, marked by normality, makes him a young man of our time. He loved all the beautiful things in life, and Paul’s words resonate in him: ‘Whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.’”

‘Jesus takes nothing away from the beautiful things in life’

Parolin also noted that St. Carlo Acutis was “a teacher of beauty and goodness, because he used the things of the world with a pure heart, making Jesus the center of his life.”

“Today more than ever, young people must be reminded that Jesus takes nothing away from the beautiful things in life; everything comes from God and is good in itself. What makes things bad is sin,” he pointed out.

“This was his program,” the cardinal noted, “‘always be united to Jesus,’ and that was also the secret of his originality. When he said that we are all born as originals and die as photocopies, he was also speaking of himself: He did not want to be a copy or follow fashions, but to be fully himself, filled with the Lord Jesus.”

‘The Eucharist, his highway to heaven’

“To be filled with Jesus,” the Vatican secretary of state continued, “Carlo understood that we have it within our reach. Thanks to the Eucharistic presence, we don’t need to look for him elsewhere in the world. He said there is a way, or better yet, a special highway, free of tolls, traffic jams, and accidents: That highway is the Eucharist.”

Parolin noted that many people come to the shrine that holds Acutis’ remains, and others receive his relics because the first millennial saint “attracts many to the path of goodness.” 

“From this shrine, together with St. Francis, he speaks to the world and reminds us that we are all called to holiness. With the simplicity of his life, he teaches us that holiness is possible at any age and in any state of life,” Parolin said.

“Carlo,” he concluded, “is a new pearl of this city of saints and a great gift for the Church: May his witness bear abundant fruits of holiness among young people.”

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

St. Carlo Acutis. / Credit: carloacutis.com

ACI Prensa Staff, Oct 13, 2025 / 14:42 pm (CNA).

A fire this weekend severely damaged the 17th-century Bernaga Monastery outside of Milan in northern Italy, forcing 21 cloistered nuns to flee the blaze.

The fire broke out around 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 11 as the nuns — part of the Ambrosian hermitages of the Order of St. Ambrose ad Nemus — were watching a live television stream of Pope Leo XIV’s prayer vigil for peace in St. Peter’s Square. The women all escaped without harm, but the monastery, which was built in 1628, was nearly destroyed. Nine firefighting teams intervened to put out the blaze.

The Archdiocese of Milan reported that the fire destroyed documents, religious artifacts, and the nuns’ personal belongings, though the religious sisters managed to save some paintings and a relic of St. Carlo Acutis, who received his first holy Communion at the monastery on June 16, 1998.

Archbishop Mario Delpini of Milan expressed his closeness and prayers following the disaster: “I know that the nuns will continue to pray and that trust in God will be the most necessary encouragement.”

“We still don’t know what really caused the fire, and we will probably never know, since almost everything has been destroyed. Thank God the nuns were quick to call for help and get to safety in a matter of minutes... Unfortunately, when the fire department arrived, the monastery was already completely engulfed in flames,” Father Emanuele Colombo told the Archdiocese of Milan.

This story was first published by ACI Stampa, CNA’s Italian-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

A view of the United States Penitentiary Administrative Maximum Facility, also known as the ADX or “Supermax” prison in Florence, Colorado. The facility has been dubbed the “Alcatraz of the Rockies” because of its remote location and harsh security measures. / Credit: JASON CONNOLLY/AFP via Getty Images

CNA Staff, Oct 13, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

A foreign-born Muslim inmate currently incarcerated in the U.S.’s most severely restrictive prison complex is asking the government to require the prison to accommodate his religious practices under a key federal statute, highlighting the far-reaching and comprehensive nature of religious freedom rules in the United States. 

U.S. District Judge Philip Brimmer in a Sept. 25 ruling agreed that Mostafa Kamel Mostafa had demonstrated that prison officials at the maximum facility had “substantially burdened the exercise of his religion” by failing to install a special cleaner in one of his cells.

The prison, a “supermax” facility in Colorado commonly known as ADX Florence and colloquially as the “Alcatraz of the Rockies,” is famous for its near-total state of lockdown. 

Housing some of the most dangerous inmates in the U.S. penitentiary system, it features poured concrete cells in which prisoners are confined for most of the day as well as high-level security protocols that include motion detectors, pressure pads, and pits used for exercise. 

Mostafa was sentenced to life in prison in 2015 for his role in a deadly hostage-taking scheme in 1998 and other terrorist activities. He is incarcerated in the “H-unit” of ADX Florence, its most secure wing. 

Formerly an imam at a U.K. mosque, Mostafa follows Islamic rules regarding prayer, including a mandate to “make himself clean and presentable before praying.” With both his arms amputated above the elbow, he requires some accommodations to that end, including a bidet in his cell toilet. 

Mostafa has had two cells adapted for his disabilities; the prison has installed a bidet in one but not the other. Brimmer in his ruling found that “until [the prison] install[s] a bidet in both of Mr. Mostafa’s cells,” the prisoner has a claim to a burden on his religious exercise. 

‘Everybody has access to the fundamentals’

Though the dispute has made its way to U.S. district court, it may be moot before it goes any further, as prison officials have explicitly stated that they are “in the process” of installing a bidet in Mostafa’s second cell. 

Yet the case underscores just how extensively the principles of religious liberty have been applied in the United States, up to and including accommodating modifications to the prison cell toilet of a foreign-born terrorist.

Robert Destro, a professor of law at The Catholic University of America’s Columbus School of Law and the former federal assistant secretary of state for democracy, human rights, and labor, said in an interview that religious liberty cases arise regularly within prison populations. 

Mostafa brought the case in part under the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), a Clinton-era law that restricts how and under what conditions the U.S. government can impose burdens upon U.S. religious liberty.

Destro said RFRA is similar in some ways to the Americans with Disabilities Act, a 1990 federal law that requires “reasonable accommodations” in hiring and business practices for disabled people. 

“In a way, RFRA is a little like the ADA,” he said. “It wants to make sure that everybody has access to the fundamentals. Just because you’ve been sentenced to prison because you did something bad, or stupid, or both, doesn’t mean that you lose your First Amendment rights.”

The dispute in prison cases, Destro said, is usually “how much the prison should defer to the warden and to prison policies” and to what extent it’s obligated to accommodate a religious belief. 

In Mostafa’s case, “it seems like a fairly simple answer,” he said.

“The guy has a disability,” he pointed out. “There’s no question about his faith. [And] there’s no way that somebody with no arms and access to a stream of water is going to, you know, burn down the prison. There’s no tangible security threat.”

The federal government explicitly states that neither the national nor state governments may “impose a substantial burden on the religious exercise of a person residing in or confined to an institution,” barring concerns of a “compelling governmental interest” carried out in the “least restrictive means” possible. 

That language is virtually identical to the text of RFRA. Destro said the principle is “a lot less cosmic than it looks.” 

“The design of RFRA … was to shift the burden over to the government to say, why is this a big burden for you?” he said. The government only gets a “free pass,” he said, if it can show that an abrogation of religious liberty “has to do with health, safety, or some other very limited security issues.”

Further religious liberty expansions for prisoners could be on the horizon. The Supreme Court earlier this year said it would decide whether prisoners can sue individual prison workers — rather than merely the government itself — over violations of federal religious freedom law. 

Destro acknowledged that Mostafa’s fight at ADX Florence would likely be rendered moot by the government’s simply modifying his prison cell as requested. Still, he said, it often makes more sense for a government to quickly acquiesce to a prisoner’s reasonable request rather than fight it. 

“If you know you’re going to get sued on RFRA — just like getting sued under the ADA — why don’t you just make the accommodations and save the money on the lawsuit?” he said. “For the amount of money it’s going to cost you to put in a bidet, it’s cheaper than having a lawyer go to court.”

“For the money you’ve spent defending the suit, you could’ve put the thing in and been done with it!” he said with a laugh. “That’s not always the right answer. Sometimes there is a question of principle involved. But I don’t see one here.”

Christopher Columbus, by Sebastiano del Piombo, 1519. / Credit: Public domain

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Oct 13, 2025 / 05:00 am (CNA).

President Donald Trump renewed the focus of Columbus Day to be celebrated on the second Monday of October, reclaiming the explorer’s “extraordinary legacy of faith, courage, perseverance, and virtue,” according to the president’s proclamation.

Since 1971, the second Monday in October has been federally recognized as Columbus Day to commemorate Columbus’ discovery of the Americas in 1492, celebrate Italian-American heritage, and acknowledge the 1891 lynchings of 11 Italian Americans. In 2021, former President Joe Biden issued the first presidential proclamation of Indigenous Peoples’ Day to be observed on the same day, following backlash toward Columbus.

The “current hostility to him is ill informed,” Felipe Fernández-Armesto, professor of history at the University of Notre Dame and author of “Columbus on Himself,” told CNA. “He was understandably conflicted about the people he encountered on this side of the ocean, but, by the standards of his contemporaries, his most characteristic judgments about them were highly positive.”

“Columbus Day is commendable — instituted in expiation of the worst lynching in U.S. history ... Columbus suited a project of national reconciliation because he was, for most of the history of the U.S., a unifying figure.” Fernández-Armesto added: “He should remain so today.” 

“He was not guilty of most of the excesses of cruelty that interested enemies at the time and ignorant critics today ascribe to him. His history was uniquely significant: He was genuinely the discoverer of viable routes to and fro across the Atlantic — reconnecting, for good and ill, formerly sundered cultures and enabling the world-transforming exchange of ideas and people, commerce and life-forms,” he said.

“It’s hard to think of anyone whose impact on the hemisphere has been greater,” Fernández-Armesto said. 

Presidential proclamation

In an Oct. 9 proclamation, Trump wrote the previous years have been a “campaign to erase our history … and attack our heritage.” To combat this, Trump formally declared the day will be recognized as Columbus Day in honor of “the great Christopher Columbus and all who have contributed to building our nation.”

As a “titan of the Age of Exploration,” Columbus was “guided by a noble mission: to discover a new trade route to Asia, bring glory to Spain, and spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ to distant lands,” the proclamation said. 

Upon Columbus’ arrival in the Americas, “he planted a majestic cross in a mighty act of devotion, dedicating the land to God and setting in motion America’s proud birthright of faith.”

The president noted that Columbus was guided by “steadfast prayer and unwavering fortitude and resolve” and his journey “carried thousands of years of wisdom, philosophy, reason, and culture across the Atlantic into the Americas.” 

“As we celebrate his legacy, we also acknowledge the contributions of the countless Italian-Americans who, like him, have endlessly contributed to our culture and our way of life,” the presidential proclamation said. “To this day, the United States and Italy share a special bond rooted in the timeless values of faith, family, and freedom. My administration looks forward to strengthening our long and storied friendship in the years to come.”

Under the administration, “our nation will now abide by a simple truth: Christopher Columbus was a true American hero, and every citizen is eternally indebted to his relentless determination.”

The president called on the American people to observe the day “with appropriate ceremonies and activities” and directed that U.S. flags be displayed on all public buildings on the appointed day.

Crowds look at the Miracle of the Sun that occurred during the Our Lady of Fátima apparitions in 1917. / Credit: Public domain

CNA Staff, Oct 13, 2025 / 04:00 am (CNA).

Oct. 13, 1917, marked the last Marian apparition in Fátima and the day on which thousands of people bore witness to the miracle of the dancing sun — a miracle that shattered the prevalent belief at the time that God was no longer relevant.

Marco Daniel Duarte, a theologian and director of the Fátima Shrine museums, shared with CNA the impact that the miracle of the sun made during those days in Portugal.

If one were to open philosophy books during that period, he or she would likely read something akin to the concept conceived by German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, who boldly asserted in the late 1800s that “God is dead.”

Also, in 1917 Portugal, the majority of the world was embroiled in war. As World War I raged throughout Europe, Portugal found itself unable to maintain its initial neutrality and joined forces with the Allies. More than 220,000 Portuguese civilians died during the war, thousands due to food shortages and thousands more from the Spanish flu.

A few years before, a revolution had led to the establishment of the First Portuguese Republic in 1910 and a new liberal constitution was drafted under the influence of Freemasonry, which sought to suppress the faith from public life. Catholic churches and schools were seized by the government, and the wearing of clerics in public, the ringing of church bells, and the celebration of public religious festivals were banned. Between 1911 and 1916, nearly 2,000 priests, monks, and nuns were killed by anti-Christian groups.

This was the backdrop against which, in 1917, a lady believed to be the Virgin Mary appeared to three shepherd children — Lucia dos Santos, 10, and her cousins Francisco and Jacinta Marto, 9 and 7 — in a field in Fátima, Portugal, bringing with her requests for the recitation of the rosary, for sacrifices on behalf of sinners, and a secret regarding the fate of the world.

To prove that the apparitions were true, the lady promised the children that during the last of her six appearances, she would provide a sign so people would believe in the apparitions and in her message. What happened on that day — Oct. 13, 1917 — has come to be known as the “Miracle of the Sun,” or “the day the sun danced.”

According to various accounts, a crowd of some 70,000 people — believers and skeptics alike —gathered to see the miracle that was promised: The rainy sky cleared up, the clouds dispersed, and the ground, which had been wet and muddy from the rain, dried up. A transparent veil came over the sun, making it easy to look at, and multicolored lights were strewn across the landscape. The sun then began to spin, twirling in the sky, and at one point appeared to veer toward the earth before jumping back to its place in the sky.

The stunning event was a direct and very convincing contradiction to the atheistic regimes at the time, which is evidenced by the fact that the first newspaper to report on the miracle on a full front page was an anti-Catholic, Masonic newspaper in Lisbon called O Seculo.

The miracle of the sun was understood by the people to be “the seal, the guarantee, that in fact those three children were telling the truth,” Duarte said.

Even today, “Fátima makes people change their perception of God,” since “one of the most important messages of the apparitions is that even if someone has separated from God, God is present in human history and doesn’t abandon humanity.”

This story was first published on CNA on Oct. 12, 2017, and has been updated.

Daniel Ayalon, former Israeli ambassador to the U.S. and former foreign policy adviser to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, speaks with “EWTN News Nightly” anchor Veronica Dudo on Oct. 10, 2025.  / Credit: “EWTN News Nightly”

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Oct 11, 2025 / 08:00 am (CNA).

Former Israeli government officials, representatives for the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, and Catholic advocates for Israel in the U.S. spoke with EWTN News this week following the historic peace deal brokered by the Trump administration between Israel and Hamas. 

News of the peace agreement came as “a joy for the entire population of Gaza, for the families of the hostages, and for our parish, our little parish there in Gaza,” according to Farid Jabran, the public and government affairs adviser for the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem.

In an Oct. 10 interview with “EWTN News Nightly,” Jabran noted there is still an air of “expectation” as the region waits to “see what happens.”

Jabran revealed that Latin Patriarch Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa had spoken to the pastor of Gaza’s only Catholic Church, Father Gabriel Romanelli.

“They are all very happy that they are not hearing more bombings,” Jabran said of the Gazan parish community. “They expect a better future, but still they wait to see what is going to happen … They’re all waiting to see what happens after the release of the hostages.” 

“The Catholic Church, as the patriarch, as the pope, as many said, will give anything in its power to to offer assistance, to offer good services when it’s asked to do so,” said Jabran, noting that the Latin Patriarchate has “big plans for Gaza,” including the construction of a new hospital in the southern region of the enclave. 

“We’ll have more details on that that will be supported by the Italian Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Latin Patriarchate,” he revealed, adding: “We are planning to create field hospitals in several places and to work on schools and education for the children, not only for the Christian community [but] for everyone.”

Breaking down the peace deal 

In an Oct. 10 appearance on “EWTN News Nightly,” Daniel Ayalon, former Israeli ambassador to the U.S. and former foreign policy adviser to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, shared how the historic peace deal brokered by the Trump administration will play out in the coming days. 

Though both Israel and Hamas signed on to the first phase of the peace plan set out by the Trump administration on Wednesday, reports of ongoing bombardment from the IDF in northern Gaza was reported on Friday morning. Avalon explained that “there was a threat that the IDF depicted, and they had to take care of it.” 

“We have enough experience with Hamas that even though they agree on a ceasefire, they continue their aggression,” he told “EWTN News Nightly” anchor Veronica Dudo. “But we adhere, or Israel adheres to the agreement and to the ceasefire terms … We started right on time, and we are now back off the former position, and hopefully we will see our hostages within the next 72 hours.” 

President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social on Wednesday that both parties had agreed to the first phase of his 20-point peace plan for the Middle East, in which he noted: “ALL of the hostages will be released very soon, and Israel will withdraw their troops to an agreed-upon line as the first steps toward a strong, durable, and everlasting peace.”

“I think that we should all acknowledge the leadership and the negotiation capabilities of President Trump and his team,” Ayalon said. “I believe that they found the right moment to really bring together an assembly of protagonists in the region that could really be instrumental, namely, Turkey, Qatar, and Egypt, that put a lot of pressure on Hamas that was not there before.” 

Given that the first phase goes according to plan, Ayalon said, Israel will release its Palestinian prisoners, and IDF troops will continue to withdraw, allowing Gazans to return to their homes. After which, he said, comes the precarious task of disarming Hamas, which will include dismantling its vast network of tunnels. This task, he predicted, could take several months. 

“I think the people of Gaza deserve this,” Ayalon reflected. “After these two horrendous years … they were actually held hostage by Hamas, which used them as cannon fodder or as human shields.” The former ambassador further expressed hope that Gazans ensure “no more terror organizations will grow there to a monstrous dimension, as we did with Hamas.”

Looking ahead, Ayalon expressed hope for a broader normalization of relations between Israel and its Arab neighbors, such as Saudi Arabia and others, as well as other major Islamic countries such as Indonesia or Pakistan, to take place alongside reconstruction. He also floated the start of “a political process with the Palestinians,” noting Hamas will no longer govern the enclave. “It probably will be the Palestinian Authority,” he said, noting that under the agreement the governing body is mandated to promote peaceful coexistence and to “do away with terror” and indoctrination in its schools. 

“Then we can talk about real peace between Israel and the Palestinians, which may be a cornerstone of a much broader peace with the region,” he said, adding: “And we all deserve it — the world deserves it, and I think it will be to the benefit and the prosperity of all here.”

Remembering Oct. 7

On the two-year anniversary of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on Israel, Philos Catholic Director Simone Rizkallah told CNA: “This is not a day to discuss U.S. foreign policy or to analyze political dynamics.”

Even with the Trump administration’s efforts in the background to make a peace deal between the Hamas terrorist group and Israel, Rizkallah emphasized, “Oct. 7 is a day to live out the beatitude ‘Blessed are they who mourn.’” 

Philos Catholic is an arm of the U.S-based nonprofit organization, the Philos Project, which works to foster Catholic-Jewish relations. 

Over 1,200 Israelis and 22 Americans were confirmed killed, and thousands more wounded in the wake of Hamas’ large-scale surprise attack on Israel. An additional 251 were taken hostage into the Gaza Strip.

“We mourn with the Jewish people and with Israel as if we are mourning for our own selves — because, in truth, we are,” she said. “To stand with our Jewish brothers and sisters today is not a political act, and it is certainly not a partisan one. The Church is not a political entity. This is about faith and the culture that faith gives birth to.”

According to Rizkhallah: “To speak up and stand with our Jewish friends is not sentimental — it is an act of spiritual realism and solidarity with our own people in the faith.” To do so, she continued, is not a partisan act but a “part of orthodox Catholic theology, rooted in the heart of the Church’s self-understanding.”

Catholics, she urged, should “incarnate this love by showing up in the flesh” for their Jewish friends and neighbors. “Call your Jewish friends,” she said. “Reach out to your local synagogue or Jewish community center. Drop off white roses in the wake of antisemitic attacks — a symbol of Christian resistance to hatred, inspired by the White Rose movement that opposed Nazi Germany.”

Philos Catholic will host an event commemorating the 60th anniversary of Nostra Aetate this year at the Saint John Paul II National Shrine in Washington, D.C., which will be available to attend both in person and virtually.